The Chaos Wheel
The Chaos Wheel is an ostentatious casino located on the main island of The Isles of Basilla. While a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, the patrons who regularly visit the casino tend to be cold to outsiders. This doesn't deter most though and the Chaos Wheel remains a go-to spot for those looking to see the best of what Basilla has to offer. For the seedier crowd looking to make money through bets or brawls, an illegal fighting ring is ran in the basement almost nightly. The fight club was temporarily disbanded after the rise of the Basillian Council. After the dust settled and the council turned their focus to bigger problems, the ring was reopened and now requires a password to gain entry.
Purpose / Function
The Chaos Wheel was opened as a business venture of Vashi Chaton, the grandmother of Belle Chaton and the former matriarch of their family. While the casino was the family's biggest source of income for many years, it was sold to a private buyer in order to pay off debts that they owed to the Gatto family. As of the present day, the Chaos Wheel is a tourist trap of extreme proportions. It's the heart of Basilla's nightlife.
Sensory & Appearance
The Chaos Wheel has a bright and busy interior. Shades of blue and purple assault the eyes of those stepping inside, treating them to gold-trimmed columns and many water features throughout the large casino. A large pond is built into the center of the building with four offshoots that curl around the main pool like a pinwheel, feeding directly back into it. Palm trees are a common sight, usually backed by a mural of the sun setting over the ocean.
The casino is two-stories. Three grand staircases lead up to the second floor which directly overlooks the pond below. Several aquariums make up the decor on the second floor, housing colorful saltwater fish such as purple and yellow tangs. Various corals provide places to hide for the fish and the major aquarium on this level houses small sharks. From the back of the casino, a man-made waterfall pours into the pond. Beyond the waterfall is a private entrance that leads into the Chaos Wheel's basement.
The casino is enchanted to play music from a disembodied source, offering a comfortable, but upbeat mood for the patrons. Bird song can be heard as well, much of it being the result of magic, but there are live birds that live within the Chaos Wheel. Smoking is allowed within the building and given Basilla's notoriety for having some of the best cigars around, the Chaos Wheel often smells like pleasant, spicy tobacco combinations.
The temperature is magically controlled, offering patrons a relieving breeze to escape the humid climate of the isles. At certain hours, the lights in the casino darken and flicker to simulate a thunderstorm. Enchanted rain falls from the illusion of clouds gathering on the ceiling. These man-made storms are brief, but many patrons look forward to their appearance.
History
Built up by Vashi Chaton in her youth, the Chaos Wheel grew in popularity quickly due to its eccentric display and the cheap, novelty drinks that came along with it. The Chatons used the casino as a means of funneling victims into their money laundering schemes. They offered gamblers who were down on their luck impressive loans to secure customer loyalty. Once the victims blew through the coin and couldn't pay off their debts, the Chatons would take anything of worth that they owned. Businesses, family heirlooms; none of it was off limits. Unfortunately for the Chatons, Vashi had fallen for a similar tactic employed by the matriarch of the Gattos.
Vashi fell from grace quickly and with no other choice, she sold the casino after five decades of running it. As of now, it's rumored that the Chaos Wheel is owned by the leader of The Golden Claw Fellowship and current council member, Joqei Ikati. He maintains that he has no hand in the daily operations of the casino, but many believe he's claimed it for himself as a way of putting the nobles in their place. Joqei is very vocal about his disdain for the nobles and former royal families of Basilla, which only fuel these rumors.
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